THE leader of Colchester Council says she is in no rush to ban cars from the High Street.
Colchester Council and Essex County Council are facing a growing clamour to take action to cut congestion, but they are also facing opposition from traders and disabled shoppers.
Jeremy Lucas, county councillor, has suggested a six-month trial to avoid the need for a public inquiry.
Anne Turrell, leader of Colchester Council, insists a ruling will not be made until all options have been thoroughly explored. She said: “People keep saying get on and do it and asking when we’re going to do it, but I’m not prepared to rush to a decision. “It is very important to look at all options.
“It’s very complicated. When you work something out for the High Street, it has got to fit in with the whole of the town centre.
“I want the highways authority to look at everything. We want this to work.”
Mrs Turrell said there was no starting date for any overhaul, which has been on the cards for a decade.
The latest proposals were first unveiled nearly two years ago.
More than 180 residents and groups responded to a consultation in March on a proposal to ban all vehicles other than taxis, buses and bikes from the High Street, from 10am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday.
Traders, disabled groups, business leaders and residents associations all voiced concerns about the proposed changes.
Essex County Council has told Colchester Council a public inquiry would be needed to progress the plans because of the volume of opposition.
Mr Lucas said a trial scheme would not require an inquiry and would allow the authorities to discover what impact the changes would have.
Mrs Turrell said she had reservations about a temporary ban, saying they could create confusion.
She said: “One thing I don’t want is a stop-start pilot, that would be even worse as far as I’m concerned.
“I suppose it’s all or nothing – we either do it or we don’t.”
Mrs Turrell has asked Essex County Council to assess whether the plans would work if delivery vehicles were allowed to access the High Street during the day, which would see traders support the plan.
Colchester Council has the final decision on what vehicles are banned, but Essex County Council is responsible for issuing the traffic orders to ban them.
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